Running All the Time
by Nicole Lo
Summary: We must all rid ourselves of prejudice. That's what Ethan learns from Miranda- his top enemy. They share a secret that he has kept from everyone. Will she be able to help him through this? Will he get past his prejudices and allow himself to befriend her?
1. Default Chapter

Running Beside You By: Nicole Lopez  
  
(A/N: I do not own Lizzie McGuire nor am I in any way connected to Lizzie, Gordo, Miranda, etc. However, I do own this idea, the story itself, and any new characters.)  
  
Summary: Gordo and his mom are being abused by his step-father. And by accident, his worst enemy, (Miranda), finds out. Now, they share his secret and a whole lot more, even though Gordo wants nothing to do with a Latina, Muslim, girl from Redding, California.  
  
Part One: I Don't Know How I'll Feel Tomorrow  
  
~Miranda~ "This is great. How did you find all this out?" The Co-Editor of our school paper asked me. "I can't believe that Craft was even #2. Well, not for long." He laughed.  
  
"You don't think anything bad will actually happen, do you?" I inquired as Larry continue to smirk.  
  
"What do you think? When the principal finds out about this scam then he'll get suspended." I panicked. I wanted to write a great story, but not at anyone's expense. Although everyone knew that Craft hated me, I could never do this to him knowingly. It's just not me.  
  
"Could you ... not print it?" I wondered as Larry shook his head.  
  
"No can do. This is way too good to just let slip thorough our fingers. This could even be put in our local paper." Her continued excitedly, walking away with the article in his hands. Well, that was that. I guess I was going to feel the wrath of that Craft guy before the day is out.  
  
~Ethan~  
  
"Hey. Good game last night." Someone called out in the hallway as I smiled and kept walking. Everything was going my way today. Heather asked me out, I found out that I'm #2 out of my whole junior class, and we had completely kicked Sunndale's ass at last night's basketball game.  
  
"Ash," Danny said as I turned around. He had a paper in his hand.  
  
"What, you're actually reading something?" I smirked sarcastically.  
  
"There's an article in here about you."  
  
"Is it about my victory last night?" I asked, cockily.  
  
"No. It's bad." I snatched the paper from Danny's hands and he wasn't lying. The article was bad ... accusing me of buying my way to number two and getting easy A's from the teachers because I'm good at every sport invented.  
  
"Who wrote this?" I practically screamed angrily.  
  
"Take a wild guess."  
  
"Miranda?" Danny nodded. "That bitch!" I threw the paper down and rampaged through the hall, looking for her. Instead, I ran into her trusty side-kick David Gordon, the school freak.  
  
"Where's Miranda?" I inquired. He shrugged, kept walking, and put on his headphones. "I said, where is she!" I yelled as I pushed his against the lockers. This he paid attention to, and he responded by punching me square in the jaw.  
  
Danny tried to hold me back, but I returned the hit and soon we had engaged in a full-fledged fight. I don't know who pulled us apart, but all I have to say is that that Gordon kid isn't a sissy after all. He got some pretty good hits off of me, but I had totally kicked his ass. I mean he was the one with blood dripping on the floor.  
  
"Mr. Gordon." Ms. Scarlet mumbled disapprovingly. "Ethan Craft. First this article, then this fight. I'm starting to wonder." Rage filled my body as I squirmed, trying to get another hit off of Gordon. "That's enough guys." She continued. "Bring them to my office."  
  
~Miranda~  
  
I hadn't seen Ethan yet. Good thing. He has the worst temper ever. I was looking for Gordo. He wasn't at our usual meeting place, so I walked out into the hallway only to see two police officers dragging Ethan and ... was that ... yep ... and Gordo.  
  
"GORDO!" I ran up to him, questioning him only with my eyes. The police officer pushed me aside and continued to drag him towards the principals office. Everyone in the hallway stopped and started giving me evil stares. I take it that they didn't like my article then.  
  
LATER DURING 2ND PERIOD  
  
"Excuse me. May I please see Miss Muhammad in my office?" Ms. Scarlet asked as I took my things and followed her to her office. (A/N: I know that's not Miranda's name on the show, but it is in the story) "I'd like to speak to you about your article in today's paper." She continued as we reached her office and Ethan started giving me evil stares from the other side of the room.  
  
"What would you like to know?" I tried to pretend like everything was okay.  
  
"Lots of things, but for one, where did you get this information?"  
  
"I checked it out myself. After school one day ..." I began to tell my story.  
  
By the end of the day, I had detention, along with Ethan Craft, but Gordo was suspended, of course.  
  
"So, I finally get to speak to you alone." Ethan commented as soon as the teacher left the room to go and get coffee or something.  
  
"Go ahead and say what you want. You know what you did was wrong, but of course, you're going to get out of it because you're the school's Golden Boy." I muttered, tiredly.  
  
"I don't appreciate you printing lies about me like that. I know you hate me and everyone else does, but spreading rumors isn't going to make anyone like you any better. After all, you are just a dirty Spic." I stood up and was really close to hitting him, but I knew that I would get in trouble and it would only make me look bad.  
  
"You know you're the most ignorant person I've ever met in my life. Even P.W.T, (Poor white trash), use more brain cells than you do." I insulted him.  
  
"Ouch." He mocked. "The sweet smell of jealousy."  
  
"Could you not talk to me for the rest of this time?" I asked as he got up and headed for the door.  
  
"Sure. You're gonna be in here alone anyway. I've got a game to prepare for." Ethan smiled and walked out, leaving me alone.  
  
I could've just left like Ethan did, but I'm one of those people who always gets in trouble and always gets caught doing something, so I stayed, even though the teacher never did come back. At least I got all my homework ... but then again all I had was a Spanish worksheet, since I had missed most of my other classes.  
  
~Gordo~  
  
"What took you so long?" I asked Miranda who finally decided to show up at my house.  
  
"You'll never guess what happened." Miranda whispered as I popped down on the swing next to him.  
  
"What?" I started to play a few chords on my guitar.  
  
"I got detention."  
  
"For what?" I inquired in a nonchalant tone. Normally I wouldn't believe this, but after what had happened today, I believed anything.  
  
"Writing that article on Craft. Of course, he claimed that I made up the whole thing because I was jealous and they believed him. I even have proof that he's lying." Miranda proclaimed as I shook my head and smiled at her.  
  
"Whoa. You really got your butt kicked today." She commented as I continued playing.  
  
"You should be thanking me. If he had found you first, God knows what would've happened," I said as she looked at me sincerely.  
  
"Fine then. Thank you Gordo. You're the best friend a girl could have. I looove you." She joked, giving me a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Okay, okay. Back off."  
  
"So why'd they suspend you and not Craft?" Miranda wondered as she lay her head down on my shoulder. Her scarf tickled my arm.  
  
"Apparently, according to Craft and Thompson, I instigated and started the fight. They were just 'defending themselves.'"  
  
"They believed that bologna?"  
  
"They'd believe him if he said that tree started talking to him and it attacked him with its roots." I teased as she rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"I'm honestly sorry that I got you suspended."  
  
"It's okay. I was going to get suspended anyway." I assured her, as she moved her head and sat cross-legged on the swing. I started to play.  
  
"Why do you always do that?" I asked, referring to her sitting cross- legged without her shoes.  
  
"I don't like shoes and I never wear them at home." Miranda explained. "Why do you always play that guitar and take it with you EVERYWHERE."  
  
"I don't take it with me everywhere."  
  
"Oh, you leave it outside the bathroom door. I forgot." She said sarcastically as I made a face at her. "When's Lizzie coming over?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Is she still in El Cajon?" Miranda questioned me.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"How can you not know if your own girlfriend is here? "  
  
"I don't-"  
  
She cut me off. "Please don't say I don't know."  
  
"Fine. I'm not sure because she isn't my girlfriend."  
  
"Please. You two are inseparable."  
  
"Ever since Lizzie moved things have been hard." I admitted as I sat my guitar down.  
  
(A/N: I originally wrote this as an O-Town story, but I hope you enjoy, but most of all get the message that I'm trying to send out. Oh yeah, and Review!!-NL) 


	2. And I Wanna Believe YOu

Part Two: And I Wanna Believe You  
  
~Miranda~  
  
"It's okay." I assured him. "She'll be back and you guys will be annoyingly cute together." I joked.  
  
"No. It won't." Gordo whispered as I started to get concerned.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"She wants to break up with me." Gordo collapsed onto my shoulder and I held him as he started to cry.  
  
"I knew I would find you here!" My sister Nidia yelled out accusingly.  
  
"So. I'm here. What do you want?" I yelled at her angrily. Gordo needed me now.  
  
"I can't believe you would do this. If mom and dad were here, they'd kill you." Nidia replied, walking up to me with a smirk.  
  
"I'm not doing anything. I'm just helping out a friend and if they can't understand that, tough." I remarked as Gordo got up and took his guitar. "Where are you going?" I asked.  
  
"I need to be alone." He admitted.  
  
"I'm really disappointed in you Randie." Nidia shook her head at me as I followed her down the stairs and into her car. "Did you know that we had family coming today?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, we did."  
  
"If you knew about it, why didn't you call me and let me know?" I wondered.  
  
"They only stopped by for a little bit and I called over here, but you weren't here. Where were you?"  
  
"I got detention."  
  
"You what?" My mother asked as I explained the situation to her once more.  
  
"So this Craft guy walks out of detention and nothing happens to him?" My father, Jose asks. I nod. "I cannot believe this. Do you see what our daughter has to go through? You wanted her to go to this institution." He yelled.  
  
"Calm down. I'll be okay. I have proof." I explained. For the rest of the night that's all my parents talked about. They called my school the next morning and set up a meeting with Ethan's parents and the principal. And, best of all, they didn't even notice Nidia when she told them that I had been hugging Gordo. If they were listening, I would've gotten it.  
  
~Ethan~  
  
"See. She's a liar," I said to the principal as Miranda's family kept giving me looks. Dirty Spics. Who needs them around anyway.  
  
"No. I have proof. We can all listen to it if you want." Miranda responded as she handed the principal a tape. She put it in and I heard my voice.  
  
"Things have been really hard for me since my dad died and ..." I didn't need to hear the rest because I already knew what it said. Shit! That little bitch had recorded me talking to Dr. Manette and probably all the others.  
  
"Well, Ethan, I don't know what to say." Miss Scarlet sat speechless. "I'll have to talk this over with the school board and possibly the vice- principal to find a punishment suitable for what you have done." She told me. "And as for you, Miranda, Thank you for bringing this to my attention."  
  
The meeting ended and everyone stood up. "Is that is?" Miranda's father asked. "My daughter gets detention for telling the truth and all you can say is thanks?"  
  
"Calm down dad," Miranda said, as Miss Scarlett looked down at her hands as though they held the answer.  
  
"I don't think I need to apologize for this misunderstanding. Miranda already knows how sorry I am." Miss Scarlett explained as her father walked away, angrily.  
  
Miranda's family left the office and my step-father took on his family characteristics.  
  
"See what kind of child you're raising Paula? Look at your deadbeat son that has to lie to get in the top ten. What a disgrace!" He spat out as I began to get really upset.  
  
~Miranda~  
  
I walked out the school and heard yelling and arguing in the parking lot.  
  
"You don't know anything. Just because everyone thinks you're perfect, doesn't mean you are. You're such a phony!" Ethan yelled as his step-father punched him and blood gushed from his nose. He yelled out something else and punched Ethan square in the jaw.  
  
"Jonathan. Jonathan! Not here. You promised." Mrs. Craft told him in a stern tone, stopping him from hitting Ethan again.  
  
"I'm going to the bathroom." Ethan mumbled as his parents walked to the car. I followed him.  
  
"Ethan!" I yelled as he started to walk faster. "Ethan!" He turned around.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I can help you with that," I said, as he followed me into the girl's bathroom. He winced as I rubbed a wet towel over his jaw. "I'm sorry about what happened back there."  
  
"Don't be. That's just the way it is." His eyes started to tear. I looked at him, but he avoided my gaze.  
  
"You know you don't have to take that from him." I began. "You shouldn't let him do this to you."  
  
"What am I going to do? Go to the police." I stopped cleaning his wound. "They don't give a damn and if they did, they wouldn't believe me anyway. I don't have time for that, especially after the stunt you pulled." He spat out.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know what was going on ... but I know that you should've gone to someone. I mean, things are only going to get worse, right?"  
  
"Wrong." Ethan responded as he jumped off the counter. "I have less than a year of this bull shit to go and then he's outta my life."  
  
"So, you're just going to run off to college and pray that everything will be okay." He nodded. "What about your mom? What if she has kids with him, or what if she ends up in the hospital?"  
  
"He doesn't hit her." Ethan whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He only hits me because he hates me." Ethan sniffed.  
  
"I can help you if you want me to." I offered. He shook his head.  
  
"No. I don't want you getting involved."  
  
"I'm not going to tell anyone." I declared, sensing his mistrust.  
  
"You better not. You've already ruined stuff I've worked hard for."  
  
"You've worked hard?"  
  
"Yeah." Ethan grabbed a paper towel as the blood from his nose started to drip again.  
  
"What about me? I'm number one and I worked hard to get there. I haven't had a social life because of school." I argued.  
  
"You wouldn't anyway." Ethan commented rudely. I leaned off the counter, stood up straight, and walked over to him.  
  
"And why is that?" My temper started to rise.  
  
"Why do you think? You're the only little Latina in the school ... get a clue."  
  
"Is that all you little preppy white kids think about? Look, I had nothing to do with what happened on September 11th and I in no way agree with Osama Bin Laden if that's what you're thinking."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Ethan started. "If it wasn't for your kind, then all those people wouldn't be dying and there wouldn't be a war going on now." He explained.  
  
"Oh yeah?" He nodded. "If it wasn't for 'your kind' slavery wouldn't have happened to African Americans and the Native American culture wouldn't be practically extinct. You know what ... in fact, people like you are the kind that started all this hate and ignorance." I told him. "Maybe you should learn about your people first before you start accusing mine of being the cause of all evil in the world!" I grabbed my purse off the counter, gave him one last stare, and walked out the bathroom.  
  
~Gordo~  
  
"Where have you been?" I asked Miranda as soon as I got a chance to talk to her.  
  
"You'll never guess."  
  
"Then tell me." I demanded.  
  
"My parents and Craft's parents had a meeting with the principal." She explained.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And he's busted."  
  
"Good for that little faggot." I mumbled.  
  
"Gordo. He's not that bad ... I mean he is but ..." Her voice trailed off.  
  
"Are you defending him?"  
  
" I guess. He has a lot of issues." Miranda continued.  
  
"Did he give you a guilt trip too?"  
  
"He tried, but that's not why I'm sticking up for him." Miranda responded.  
  
"Then what is it then?"  
  
"I can't tell you."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's private." She explained.  
  
"You aren't going out with him are you?" I wondered.  
  
"NO. NEVER."  
  
"Okay. Good." I whispered as she giggled on the other end of the phone.  
  
(A/N: I know this chapter was kind of boring, but it's just the beginning. I had to set the chapter up in order to write the rest of the story, which will hopefully be good. By the way, I kinda messed up the first chapter when I was replacing names. Ethan hates Miranda because she's Latina and a Muslim. Gordo is her best friend. Any questions? Just ask. Remember to review!! -NL) 


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